Mark D. Scheuerell, PhD
Assistant Unit Leader - Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Mark joined the Washington Unit in 2019. He is an applied ecologist who works largely in aquatic environments, particularly along the west coast of North America. Much of his research is focused on the development and application of statistical methods for analyzing temporal and spatial data, with the goal of supporting conservation and management of exploited species. Recent foci include integrated population models for Pacific salmon, status assessments for threatened and endangered salmonids, and examining food web dynamics in freshwater and coastal ecosystems. He is also a strong proponent of open and reproducible science. Mark teaches graduate courses in Analysis of Ecological and Environmental Data, Applied Time Series Analysis, and Best Practices in Environmental Data Science. Mark grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota, which had a profound influence on his career trajectory.
He was a research biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service for 16 years. Mark received his M.S. from Cornell University and his Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
Professional Experience
Assistant Unit Leader, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2019-
Education and Certifications
PhD, University of Washington, 1997
MS, Cornell University, 1993
BS, University of Wisconsin, 1987
Science and Products
Incorporating life history diversity in an integrated population model to inform viability analysis
Life history diversity can significantly affect population dynamics and effects of management actions. For instance, variation in individual responses to environmental variability can reduce extirpation risk to populations, as the portfolio effect dampens temporal variability in abundance. Moreover, differences in habitat use may cause individuals to respond differently to habitat management and c
Authors
Mark H. Sorel, Jeffrey C. Jorgensen, Richard W. Zabel, Mark David Scheuerell, Andrew R. Murdoch, Cory M. Kamphaus, Sarah J. Converse
Shellfish aquaculture farms as foraging habitat for nearshore fishes and crabs
ObjectiveOyster reefs across North America have declined precipitously over the past 140 years. In Washington State, Olympia oyster Ostrea lurida reefs historically provided water filtration and nearshore structural habitat for fishes and invertebrates, but this species is now functionally extinct across its historical range. In place of these naturally occurring reefs, shellfish farms consisting
Authors
Karl Veggerby, Mark David Scheuerell, Beth Sanderson, Peter Kiffney, Bridget Ferriss
Stable isotopes reveal intertidal fish and crabs use bivalve farms as foraging habitat in Puget Sound, Washington
Bivalves such as oysters and clams have been farmed in intertidal zones across the Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea for thousands of years. The variety of gear types used on bivalve farms creates complex vertical structure and attachment points for aquatic epiphytes and invertebrates which increases habitat structural complexity, but may alter eelgrass cover in areas where bivalve farms and ee
Authors
Karl Veggerby, Mark David Scheuerell, Beth Sanderson, Peter Kiffney
Data-limited fishery assessment methods shed light on the exploitation history and population dynamics of Endangered Species Act-listed Yelloweye Rockfish in Puget Sound, Washington
ObjectiveThe distinct population segment (DPS) of Yelloweye Rockfish Sebastes ruberrimus inhabiting the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin was listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2010, and a formal recovery plan for the DPS was published by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries in 2017. In this recovery plan, the biological criteria for delisting or downlisting were specifi
Authors
Markus Min, Jason Cope, Dayv Lowry, James Selleck, Daniel Tonnes, Kelly Andrews, Robert Pacunski, Andrea Hennings, Mark David Scheuerell
Return(s) on investment: Restoration spending in the Columbia River Basin and increased abundance of salmon and steelhead
The decline in salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River Basin has been well documented, as have the decades-long, $9 billion restoration spending efforts by federal and state agencies. These efforts are mainly tied to Endangered Species Act (ESA) mandates for recovery of wild, naturally-spawning threatened or endangered fish species. The impact of these efforts remains poorly underst
Authors
William K. Jaeger, Mark David Scheuerell
Effects of population density and environmental conditions on life-history prevalence in a migratory fish
Individual variation in life-history traits can have important implications for the ability of populations to respond to environmental variability and change. In migratory animals, flexibility in the timing of life-history events, such as juvenile emigration from natal areas, can influence the effects of population density and environmental conditions on habitat use and population dynamics. We eva
Authors
Mark H. Sorel, Andrew R. Murdoch, Richard W. Zabel, Cory M. Kamphaus, Eric R. Buhle, Mark David Scheuerell, Sarah J. Converse
Mortality associated with extreme heat in Washington State: The historical and projected public health burden
Extreme heat is one of the most important pathways illustrating the connection between climate and human health, and climate change is expected to exacerbate this public health issue. This study first used a case-crossover analysis to characterize the historical (1980–2018) association between summertime heat and non-traumatic mortality in Washington State. A separate analysis was conducted for ea
Authors
Logan Arnold, Mark David Scheuerell, T.B. Isaksen
Multidecadal trends in body size of Puget Sound Chinook Salmon: Analysis of data from the Tengu Derby, a culturally unique fishery
In Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., downward trends in size and abundance have been reported for species and stocks for over 40 years, but the patterns are inconsistent among regions and species. Interpretation of these trends is complicated by many possible contributing factors, including short time series, data comprising a mix of stocks, and varying gear types. Here, we present data on the mas
Authors
Thomas P. Quinn, Mark David Scheuerell, James P Losee, Doug Hanada
Improving short-term recruitment forecasts for coho salmon using a spatiotemporal integrated population model
Fishery managers often rely on forecasts of future population abundance to set allowable harvest quotas or exploitation rates. While there has been substantial research devoted to identifying environmental factors that can predict recruitment for individual populations, such correlations often degrade over time, thereby limiting their utility for management. Conversely, examining multiple populati
Authors
Lukas B. DeFilippo, Thomas W. Buehrens, Mark David Scheuerell, Neala W. Kendall, Daniel E. Schindler
Multi-decadal shifts in the distribution and timing of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) spawning in Prince William Sound, Alaska
The location and timing of spawning play a critical role in pelagic fish survival during early life stages and can affect subsequent recruitment. Spawning patterns of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) were examined in Prince William Sound (1973–2019) where the population has failed to recover since its collapse in 1993. Abrupt shifts in spawn distribution preceded the rapid increase in population
Authors
David W. McGowan, Trevor A. Branch, Stormy Haught, Mark David Scheuerell
Science and Products
Incorporating life history diversity in an integrated population model to inform viability analysis
Life history diversity can significantly affect population dynamics and effects of management actions. For instance, variation in individual responses to environmental variability can reduce extirpation risk to populations, as the portfolio effect dampens temporal variability in abundance. Moreover, differences in habitat use may cause individuals to respond differently to habitat management and c
Authors
Mark H. Sorel, Jeffrey C. Jorgensen, Richard W. Zabel, Mark David Scheuerell, Andrew R. Murdoch, Cory M. Kamphaus, Sarah J. Converse
Shellfish aquaculture farms as foraging habitat for nearshore fishes and crabs
ObjectiveOyster reefs across North America have declined precipitously over the past 140 years. In Washington State, Olympia oyster Ostrea lurida reefs historically provided water filtration and nearshore structural habitat for fishes and invertebrates, but this species is now functionally extinct across its historical range. In place of these naturally occurring reefs, shellfish farms consisting
Authors
Karl Veggerby, Mark David Scheuerell, Beth Sanderson, Peter Kiffney, Bridget Ferriss
Stable isotopes reveal intertidal fish and crabs use bivalve farms as foraging habitat in Puget Sound, Washington
Bivalves such as oysters and clams have been farmed in intertidal zones across the Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea for thousands of years. The variety of gear types used on bivalve farms creates complex vertical structure and attachment points for aquatic epiphytes and invertebrates which increases habitat structural complexity, but may alter eelgrass cover in areas where bivalve farms and ee
Authors
Karl Veggerby, Mark David Scheuerell, Beth Sanderson, Peter Kiffney
Data-limited fishery assessment methods shed light on the exploitation history and population dynamics of Endangered Species Act-listed Yelloweye Rockfish in Puget Sound, Washington
ObjectiveThe distinct population segment (DPS) of Yelloweye Rockfish Sebastes ruberrimus inhabiting the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin was listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2010, and a formal recovery plan for the DPS was published by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries in 2017. In this recovery plan, the biological criteria for delisting or downlisting were specifi
Authors
Markus Min, Jason Cope, Dayv Lowry, James Selleck, Daniel Tonnes, Kelly Andrews, Robert Pacunski, Andrea Hennings, Mark David Scheuerell
Return(s) on investment: Restoration spending in the Columbia River Basin and increased abundance of salmon and steelhead
The decline in salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River Basin has been well documented, as have the decades-long, $9 billion restoration spending efforts by federal and state agencies. These efforts are mainly tied to Endangered Species Act (ESA) mandates for recovery of wild, naturally-spawning threatened or endangered fish species. The impact of these efforts remains poorly underst
Authors
William K. Jaeger, Mark David Scheuerell
Effects of population density and environmental conditions on life-history prevalence in a migratory fish
Individual variation in life-history traits can have important implications for the ability of populations to respond to environmental variability and change. In migratory animals, flexibility in the timing of life-history events, such as juvenile emigration from natal areas, can influence the effects of population density and environmental conditions on habitat use and population dynamics. We eva
Authors
Mark H. Sorel, Andrew R. Murdoch, Richard W. Zabel, Cory M. Kamphaus, Eric R. Buhle, Mark David Scheuerell, Sarah J. Converse
Mortality associated with extreme heat in Washington State: The historical and projected public health burden
Extreme heat is one of the most important pathways illustrating the connection between climate and human health, and climate change is expected to exacerbate this public health issue. This study first used a case-crossover analysis to characterize the historical (1980–2018) association between summertime heat and non-traumatic mortality in Washington State. A separate analysis was conducted for ea
Authors
Logan Arnold, Mark David Scheuerell, T.B. Isaksen
Multidecadal trends in body size of Puget Sound Chinook Salmon: Analysis of data from the Tengu Derby, a culturally unique fishery
In Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp., downward trends in size and abundance have been reported for species and stocks for over 40 years, but the patterns are inconsistent among regions and species. Interpretation of these trends is complicated by many possible contributing factors, including short time series, data comprising a mix of stocks, and varying gear types. Here, we present data on the mas
Authors
Thomas P. Quinn, Mark David Scheuerell, James P Losee, Doug Hanada
Improving short-term recruitment forecasts for coho salmon using a spatiotemporal integrated population model
Fishery managers often rely on forecasts of future population abundance to set allowable harvest quotas or exploitation rates. While there has been substantial research devoted to identifying environmental factors that can predict recruitment for individual populations, such correlations often degrade over time, thereby limiting their utility for management. Conversely, examining multiple populati
Authors
Lukas B. DeFilippo, Thomas W. Buehrens, Mark David Scheuerell, Neala W. Kendall, Daniel E. Schindler
Multi-decadal shifts in the distribution and timing of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) spawning in Prince William Sound, Alaska
The location and timing of spawning play a critical role in pelagic fish survival during early life stages and can affect subsequent recruitment. Spawning patterns of Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) were examined in Prince William Sound (1973–2019) where the population has failed to recover since its collapse in 1993. Abrupt shifts in spawn distribution preceded the rapid increase in population
Authors
David W. McGowan, Trevor A. Branch, Stormy Haught, Mark David Scheuerell